1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to supporting and guiding rolling structures, and more particularly to parallel and level rails installed on a building floor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of tracks have been developed in conjunction with high density mobile storage. The tracks support the wheels of mobile carriages for efficient rolling along a building floor. The tracks also guide the mobile carriage wheels for straight line motion.
Mobile carriage tracks invariably include multiple parallel rails that are in contact with the mobile carriage wheels. The rails are usually utilized with other components that both keep the rails level and that space them parallel to each other at the proper distance. It is further necessary that the tracks remain permanently in place on the building floor after original installation. Some tracks are also used to support a deck that provides a walking surface for personnel using the high density mobile storage.
In the past, installing tracks for high density mobile storage was a major task. Permanence of an installation was often obtained by grouting the tracks to the building floor. Grout was also used in some instances for the rail leveling procedure. Working with grout was messy, and it took some experience before a person learned to handle and use the grout efficiently.
Examples of different types of prior tracks for high density mobile storage may be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,640,595; 4,597,615; 4,770,475; 4,802,622; 5,007,351; 5,069,513; 5,205,627; 5,341,944; 5,439,281; and 5,943,967. Most of the foregoing patents teach little or nothing regarding uniformly spacing the rails apart from each other for long rail lengths.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,418 shows a modular floor for high density mobile storage. The rails are spaced apart by wood deck panels, to which the rails are directly secured.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,304 shows rails interconnected by transverse spacer members. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,346, the rails are integral parts of a large plate that is suitably bent to accommodate the wheels of rolling carriages.
U.S. patent Re. 35,047 shows rails for wheeled storage racks. The rails fasten to a base. Leveler foot screws act on the rails to level both the base and the rails.
Accurate parallelism of rails is sometimes achieved by separate and reusable spacer bars. The spacer bars are not part of the tracks themselves, but are carried from job to job by installing servicemen.
In spite of the numerous track designs presently available for high density mobile storage, there is a need for further improvements to them.